ARTICLE
Ministry of Social Policy strengthens cooperation with Council of Europe in strategic social areas
Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine
30 October 2023 18:25
https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/minsotspolityky-posylyt-spivpratsiu-z-radoiu-ievropy-v-stratehichnykh-napriamkakh-sotsialnoi-sfery
The Ministry of Social Policy is a beneficiary of the Council of Europe’s Enhanced Social Protection in Ukraine project, which aims to attain that vulnerable groups, including war-affected populations in Ukraine, enjoy an improved level of social rights and social protection.
Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy, discussed key areas of cooperation within the project during a meeting with Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Minister of Social Policy for European Integration, Yuliia Kokoiachuk, Head of the Patronage Service Unit at the Ministry of Social Policy, Siuzanna Mnatsakanian, Senior Project Officer, and Iryna Ostapa, Project Officer, Enhanced Social Protection in Ukraine project.
“All projects supported by the Council of Europe are strategic for us. They are not just technical, but change the philosophy of social relations. This includes a radical reformatting of the approach to the employment of people with disabilities. Our second challenge is the preparation of a new Social Code, which requires detailed and balanced work,” said Oksana Zholnovych.
Among other strategic priorities of the Ministry of Social Policy, the head of the Ministry mentioned the following:
changing the approach to the pension system;
• supporting families in difficult circumstances;
• developing new social services, including psychosocial support, social rehabilitation of veterans’ families, services for people with disabilities and victims of violence;
• establishing a national social services purchaser, procurement mechanisms and service delivery standards;
• expanding the market for social services and engaging the public sector;
• developing family-based forms of parenting and strengthening the protection of children’s rights, deinstitutionalization;
• supporting the elderly and people with disabilities and their integration into the labor market.